Copper King crews slow spread of wildfire

THOMPSON FALLS — After burning for nearly a week through steep, rocky terrain, the Copper King wildfire's growth has slowed as crews have gain five percent of containment.

The fire has posed a challenge to crews due to the terrain and the hot, humid weather. But reports indicate scattered thunderstorms in the area and might help slow the spread and provide relief to the 389 people who are working to put it out.

According to fire officials, the total acreage is estimated to be 1,398—slightly increasing from Saturday to Sunday, but far less than the rapid growth earlier in the week when it grew from 200 to 700 acres. 

Firefighters are increasing efforts to establish containment—which has remained at zero percent—until Sunday morning—since the fire began on July 31—by constructing indirect and direct lines, and instances of controlled burning on Friday evening. As a result of these increased efforts

Officials are reporting successes in air and ground operations, such as retardant drops halting the spread of the fire along the south and west edges along with complete structure assessment along Hwy. 200 to Weeksville.

No evacuation orders have been issued, as of Saturday. However, a population protection plan has been prepared with the Sanders County Emergency Services and the Sanders County Sheriff’s Department.

No structures are threatened as of Saturday, and the Big Hold lookout has been wrapped in fire protective material as a precautionary measurement. Structural protection is ongoing along the Thompson river and the Hwy. 200 corridor. Along with the fire patrols, Sanders County sheriffs will be performing night patrols.

The response to the wildfire has been massive, involving local, state, and federal agencies. Thompson’s Eastern Montana Type II Management Team assumed command of the fire on Aug. 2.

Five hotshot crews, three initial attack crews are among the 389 personnel battling the slow-burning fire — eight miles east of Thompson Falls, and one mile north of Hwy. 200. Air support, which is now up to six helicopters, have been performing continuous bucket drops all week along the southern and wester edges to assist fire crews on the ground.

The fire’s behavior has slowed to “primarily creeping and smoldering with single tree torching and interior burning,” according an incident report on Sunday.

On Friday, hotshot crews performed ignition operations along the fire’s western edge in the Silver King mine area, after preparing the area along the ACM road that follows the Thompson river on Thursday.

Crews used hand held drip torches to burn out small pockets of unburned fuel. As a result, the activity successfully created a fire line that spared the old mine structures — a few unoccupied cabins — from being consumed.

Using heavy equipment such as bulldozers, other crews continued efforts to build indirect lines — clearing areas to separate the fire from burning other areas.

Scouting will continue throughout the weekend to establish new indirect lines in the north and east areas, as well as direct lines.

According to one fire official, crews were having difficulty establishing direct lines of water due to the terrain conditions, but progress was made on Thursday on the western edge of the fire with the creation of a direct line.

Weather reports indicate unstable moist air is predicted to move into northwest Montana over the weekend and remain until Tuesday.

Daily briefings in Thompson Falls include Lolo Forest Service officials, firefighters with Thompson Falls Rural Fire District department, Plains Paradise Rural Fire District, and the Sanders County Sheriff’s Department.

In Plains, a Incident Base has been established along Helterline Lane, with multiple services providing meals, showers, and places to sleep. Tents are visible in and around the base. During the week, ground shifts start at 6 a.m. and end close to 10 p.m.

Fire operations follow a chain-of-command that splits different crews into five divisions — four working in different areas performing specific tasks, and one division to protect structures.

Philip Knaub, supervisor of Foxtrot division, was assigned to the western edge of the fire along the ACM, and on Thursday he visited areas to advise crews under his command and receive reports.

“There’s a lot more rock but we found an awesome line,” said Shawn Faiella, a firefighter with the Lolo hotshots, describing the crew’s progress to Knaub. The Lolo hotshots slowly moved through the rocky terrain, but discovered a route down a ridge toward the river. Faiella and Knaub met and discussed the area using iPhone maps, which are provided daily in morning briefings.

Faiella was among 20 or so crew members cutting trees with chainsaws up and down the area on Thursday afternoon in preparation for the controlled burn.

Nearby, Chief Mountain hotshots dug a hand line with digging tools and cleared the area around the old silver mine with chainsaws, in an effort to get a direct water line up the hill. The fire was just ahead about, but could not be seen.

Superintendent Lyle St. Goddard said that the area was so dense in the days before, the structures were not visible. He said the crew had made great progress.

“We’ll have this area bulletproof soon,” St. Goddard said.

The crews used hand held drip torches to burn out small pockets of unburned fuel. As a result, the activity successfully created a fireline that spared the old mine structures — a few unoccupied cabins — from being consumed.

“My division is doing exactly what it should,” Knaub said on Thursday after meeting with several squad bosses, adding that the division is part of a “bigger picture” that includes strategy objectives  given daily by operations.

“I’m all over the place,” he said,”I’m advising crews and being advised [by operations].”

By Knaub’s estimation, the Copper King wildfire is behaving in a predictable manner, but he said that does not lessen the danger posed to firefighters on the ground, and pilots in the air.

“We haven’t had direct lines,” he said, explaining that the terrain conditions have kept the fire crews in positions of anticipation.

“The fire dictates where the line is, but we’re anticipating getting to that point.”

Knaub and other firefighters are not speaking in terms of containment or when the fire will be fully extinguished — but he departed the ACM road on Thursday, headed to another location by saying:

“There has never been a fire that has not been put out.”

The wildfire has stopped growing, but that doesn’t mean the work will slow down, according to one firefighter. Speaking on the condition of anonymity at the Town Pump in Plains, he was visibly exhausted, and was hopeful the fire would remain it's current size.

When asked how things were going, he sighed and said:

“We’re in for a long one.”

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CLOSURES: Forest Road No. 56 on the west side of Thompson River is still open. Please limit travel in the area. Road No. 9991 (ACM Road) on the east side of Thompson River is closed, from the junction with No. 56 to the 17-mile marker. Road No. 5587 (Spring Creek) is also closed, as are forest trails No. 345 (Todd Creek), No. 368 (Big Hole Lookout), No. 370 (Spring Creek), No. 372 (Munson Creek), No. 445 (Kookoosint) and No.1268 (Bay State). The Copper King and Clark Memorial campgrounds are closed.

More information can be found online at: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4912

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Fire information line: (406) 826-9047